InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Lucky Ones ❯ Chapter Forty-Eight ( Chapter 48 )

The Lucky Ones

By Terri Botta

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Sole copyright belongs to Viz and Rumiko Takashi. I'm poor so don't sue.

Rating: R for later chapters.

Pairing: Inuyasha/Kagome

Summary: Sometimes Fate hands you a gift you never thought you'd ever get, and it's up to you to accept it for what it is.

Email feedback to: tci100@psu.edu

Webpage: http://www.wordsmiths.net/Botta

A/N: Okay guys, this is it. Only the epilogue is left. I haven't written that yet, but I'll work on it soon. This seems kinda sad… I've been writing this for so long that I almost can't believe that it's finished.

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Chapter Forty-Eight

Once inside the house and in the living room, he pulled off the heavy uchikake and began working on the obi of the shiro-maku.

"Inuyasha! Inuyasha, be careful! This was my grandmother's. My mother wore this when she married my father," Kagome admonished when he pulled a little too roughly.

"I don't care. Get it off," he ordered, trying not to rip the silk with his claws.

"It took me almost an hour to get into this thing. You're not going to get me out of it in two minutes."

"Watch me."

He brandished his claws and heard her gasp.

"Inuyasha! Osuwari!"

"Gah!" he yelled as he hit the floor. "What the hell did you do that for?!"

"You're going to damage it! God, I want out of this thing just as much as you do but this is a family treasure and I don't want it ruined!"

"Here," his daughter Izayoi said as she came breezing in. "I'll help.."

"Oi, I thought you were watching Ian? Where is he?" he demanded.

"I gave him to Mariko when I saw you come in here. Mama-bachan is busy with setting up a table in front of Goshinboku, and I knew you would need help getting out of these heavy clothes. He's sleeping right now, but he's been an angel all day. I'm so proud of him," Izayoi replied as she began helping her mother out of the formal kimono. "Don't worry, Okaa-san. These are much easier to get out of than into."

"Thank god for that," Kagome sighed.

Picking himself up off the floor, he went to work on the gargantuan wig, helping her pull out the hundreds of hairpins that held the damn thing in place.

"Where did you get this? Please tell me this is another `family treasure' and you didn't actually pay money for this."

"It is. Jii-chan dragged it out of storage," she told him.

"Oh good. How many of these damn pins are there?" he complained.

"Hundreds. I swear Eri used three full packages of hairpins. It weighs a ton. I have such a headache from keeping my head bowed."

"Don't worry. I'll have it off you soon. And I thought I was drowning in my clothes!"

"You look wonderful, by the way. So did Yukio. He was so nervous. I had to bite my cheek to keep from laughing," she complimented with a tender smile.

"Keh, me too."

"I'm almost done, Okaa-san, I promise," Izayoi announced just as he managed to get the last of the hairpins out of the wig.

The wig came off at almost the same time as the shiro-maku fell open and his daughter carefully removed it from his wife's slender shoulders as he lifted the wig from her head. Kagome relaxed with a visible sigh as the heavy garment and headpiece were taken off.

"I feel human again."

There were more layers to the formal kimono, but the largest pieces were gone and now she was clad only in the thin underclothes and the tabi socks.

"There. Now you can wash your face and hands," he blurted.

She looked at him and seemed sad. "Was it so bad?" she asked.

He flushed and looked away, refusing to answer.

"I'm sorry. I was worried that you would be upset with the make-up. I let Jii-chan convince me that it was tradition and I'd promised him a traditional Shinto wedding."

`How do I say that it made her look dead without her getting mad at me?' "It… it made you look too pale. And… and it altered your scent."

"So that's why Yukio was scrunching up his nose like that. I'm sorry, I never should have let Jii-chan talk me into it."

"No, it's okay, I know it meant a lot to the old man."

"But it's our day, not his," she insisted, holding his hand. He was relieved to feel that the swelling had already started to go down. "Give me a few minutes. I'll go upstairs and change into my other dress. Izayoi, can you help me?"

"Hai, Okaa-san."

"I'm going to change too," he told her.

She nodded. "Miroku brought your suits over earlier. They're hanging in Souta's bedroom. Yukio's is up there too if he wants to change."

"Okay. Thanks." `At least the tux will be more comfortable than this get-up.'

He followed his wife and daughter up the stairs and veered off to enter the boy's room when they went into the bathroom. He found the tuxedo hanging on the door of Souta's closet and quickly began peeling off his ceremonial clothes. Yukio came in a minute later just as he was fastening the black cummerbund around his waist.

"Okaa-san is changing?"

"Yeah. Finally. I thought for certain she was going to pass out," he answered.

"I was worried about that too. I can't believe she wore the whole ensemble. Most women don't wear the uchikake anymore because it's too heavy."

He shrugged. "Shrine family. The old man is stuck on tradition. Kagome promised him a Shinto wedding and he went for the whole thing."

Yukio sighed. "Yeah."

"You gonna change?" he asked, indicating the Armani suit hanging next to where his had been.

"I think so."

"Okay. You still have the rings, right?"

Yukio patted the chest of his kimono. "Right here. I wouldn't lose them."

"Good."

The rustle of fabric moving past the door indicated that Kagome had exited the bathroom and was going to change into her dress. He didn't know what the second dress looked like but he knew the third was an "Eri-original" in blue silk. He hoped that she would skip the interim dress and move straight to the blue one, but somehow he doubted that she would. He finished changing then waited for his son to finish before they both headed downstairs.

Walking back out to the shrine, he took note that the caterers were getting ready to serve the meal and that the cake had been set-up and was ready for the cutting ceremony. He inspected the nuptial table that had been placed in front of Goshinboku while Yukio went to get a drink. It was a small table, draped in red and white and set with two tapers, a unity candle and a third longer taper made for lighting multiple candles.

"Eri suggested that we combine the exchange of rings with the luminary ceremony," his mother-in-law told him as she came up to them.

He nodded in understanding. "That was a good idea."

"Is Kagome all right?"

"Yeah."

"I'm glad. I was concerned towards the end. She was looking very unsteady on her feet."

"Once we got her out of that heavy thing, she was better. The swelling in her hands was going down too."

"So that's why you wanted to postpone the ring ceremony. Kagome's fingers were swollen."

"Yeah." `I'll let her think that. It's just easier.'

"I'm glad you insisted on her changing then. She was beautiful though, ne? A perfect Japanese bride," she asked, her eyes misty.

He grunted in a way that he hoped was noncommittal enough to be taken as agreement. `Yeah, if you like your brides to look dead and be wrapped up so tight they can't walk or breathe. If I'd wanted a dead mate, I'd have chosen Kikyou.'

She wiped a tear from her eye. "I've waited so long to see my daughter married. I'm so happy." She smiled at him. "And I am happy she has married someone who will take care of her and worship her for as long as she lives."

`I've been living in Canada for too long. Even I think this culture is full of chauvinistic pigs!' "Bah, Kagome can take care of herself. She is brave and strong and an excellent doctor."

"Oh yes, yes, of course, but now she has you to keep her happy and safe."

"She's had me to keep her happy and safe for 450 years." `You now expect her to become the `silent' Japanese wife, don't you? How can any man crush his mate's spirit like that? For us a wedding ring is a symbol of love, faith and trust, but for many women it's a chain.'

"Otou-san," Mariko called, coming over to them.

She was holding Ian who beamed at him the moment he saw him. The pup was dressed in a little purple hakama and kimono ensemble.

"Tou!" the eight-month-old burbled.

He smiled at his son and rubbed his head. "How's my pup?"

"Bad. He told Tuskareta-san to, and I quote, `piss off,'" his daughter replied.

He chuckled. "I'd forgive him. Tuskareta is a pompous ass."

Mariko sighed. "I know, but Okaa-san will be very unhappy when she hears about it."

"Then why don't we decide that she won't hear about it until after the honeymoon, okay?"

She laughed. "I'll try but I can't promise anything. How is Okaa-san? She was looking very…"

"Pale? Stressed?" `Dead?'

"Yes."

"She's fine. She's changing into her second dress. She'll be out soon."

Mariko smiled and nodded. "I'm glad."

"How are the guests doing?"

"They are enjoying the harpist and the taiko drummers very much."

"Good. Good."

"Yes, they are very good. Eri has excellent taste," his mother-in-law agreed.

Mariko nodded. "She does. Anytime there is an event to be planned we let her handle everything."

"How are the humans doing?" he questioned, eyeing two of Kagome's school friends as they tittered by with Miroku's girl on their way towards the house.

"They are doing fine. I modified the Spell of Normalcy to cover speeches too, so they only hear what we want them to hear," she assured him.

"Good."

Yukio joined them humming the opening bars of the "Wedding March."

"I hate that song," he complained.

"Okaa-san is ready."

He swallowed. "Okay. What am I supposed to do?"

"She wants you to meet her at the edge of the shrine and the two of you will walk together to the table."

"Okay."

He followed Yukio to the edge of the shrine grounds and waited. They were joined by the priest and the two mikos. The priest handed Yukio a huge folded paper umbrella.

"What's that for?" he asked.

"The procession," Yukio replied innocently, implying that he was to hold the opened umbrella over their heads as they walked, signifying that they were lovers.

"Ah." `More ceremony. Great. Why can't we just hold hands and walk up to the tree like normal people?'

The shoji of the house slid back and two of Kagome's human friends came out, dressed in festive kimonos. Then the old man and Souta came out as well.

`When did they go inside?' he wondered.

The girls lined up on either side of the open doorway as Kagome stepped out of the genkan. She was dressed in a Western style wedding dress that was simple but elegant. It was white satin with short sleeves and a pretty neckline. The gown went down to the ground but it didn't have anything that dragged behind it, and there was a little bit of beading on the skirt and bodice, but not too much. The best part was the neckline low was enough to show the blue necklace made from beads strung on his hair that she still had and wore almost constantly since the day he had given it to her.

Her hair had been piled into a bun with a band of flowers that lined the edge where it met her head and a simple veil trailed behind it to her waist. Plain white satin gloves came up to her elbows and she held a very simple bouquet of roses and white orchids.

`Now this is more like it!' he thought with a smile as she came towards him.

"Wow," Yukio breathed beside him.

He nodded in agreement.

She gave him a shy smile and flushed with happiness when she saw that he approved.

"Kagome," he whispered. `My mate is so beautiful.'

"Inuyasha," she answered, offering her hand to him.

He took it and stood beside her. Then the priest and the two mikos took the front position, one holding a flute and the other a taiko drum. Kagome's mother and the old man took the second position, followed by Ayumi and the other two school friends of Kagome's. He and Kagome came next with Yukio directly behind them, holding the opened paper umbrella over their heads. The mikos played music as the procession set off across the shrine grounds to the sacred tree. They stopped at the nuptial table where the mikos took positions on either side, and the priest stood behind it with his back towards Goshinboku. The rest of the procession split to the sides as well, leaving the area in front of the table open for him and Kagome. They stood and faced the priest, who performed a quick purification of them and the table.

"These two wish to exchange the gift of nuptial rings before their gathered guests," he announced as the crowd came to witness the ceremony. "Who has the rings?"

Yukio made a brief show of patting his pockets before producing the two black velvet boxes. Inuyasha snatched them from him with a scowl and handed them to the priest, ignoring the chuckles from some of his pups. The priest blessed the rings and placed them on the table with the lids open so he could see which was which. Kagome handed her bouquet and gloves to Ayumi and they turned to face each other. Carefully, he took Kagome's platinum ring out of its box and held it in-between his fingers.

`Okay, this is it.' He swallowed hard and recalled the vows he had memorized just for this moment.

"Kagome. My love. My mate. You are everything that makes me complete. I know that I have never been worthy of you, yet you have stayed with me through all of our hardships and successes. You have remained true, raised our pups and stood beside me no matter what I chose to do. That you would still choose me to be your mate after all these years is the greatest gift you could ever give to me. I promise you what I have always promised you: To love you and honor you. To share my life and all I own with you. I give you my fidelity, my protection and my undying devotion for as long as we both shall live." She offered him her hand, her eyes brimmed with tears, and he took it gently. "Kagome, do you consent to be my wife? To love me and honor me, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for as long as we both shall live?"

With a small sob, she nodded. "I do."

He slid the ring onto her finger slowly. "With this ring, I take you as my wife."

Still wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes, she held up her hand to look at the band on her finger, then she took the diamond engagement ring from her right hand where she must have put it earlier, and placed it on her ring finger next to her wedding band.

Reaching down to the table, she picked up his ring and held it in her fingers.

"Inuyasha. I am, and have always been, your loving, faithful wife. I will hold you, and keep you, and accept no other but you. I will love you with all of my heart and half of my soul. I will honor you and raise your pups, and stand beside you for as long as we both shall live." She took his hand, ignoring the fact that it shook slightly. "Inuyasha, do you consent to be my husband? To love me and honor me, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for as long as we both shall live?"

He swallowed the lump in his throat. "I do."

She slid the ring slowly onto his finger and it was a perfect fit. "With this ring, I take you for my husband."

He looked at his ring, finally on his finger, then back at her, his heart filled to bursting with love and joy. This was what a wedding was all about. This peace and adoration and feeling of completion. It wasn't about the clothes or the gifts or the number of times you clapped at the altar. It was about two people pledging to love, honor and protect each other for their entire lives.

For all the solemn ceremony and ritual of the Shinto wedding, it hadn't even come close to making him feel how he did right now after their simple vows and heartfelt promises. From the look on Kagome's face and the scent of joy on her skin, it was obvious that she felt the same way.

"I love you, Kagome," he whispered.

"I love you too, Inuyasha. Forever and always."

"You may kiss the bride!" Yukio announced.

Laughing softly, he reached up to cup Kagome's cheek, drawing her close to kiss her. She deepened the kiss as the crowd cheered and didn't let him go until they both had to breathe.

:Mate,: she barked when they paused for breath.

:Mate,: he answered, and kissed her again, putting all of the love he felt for her, had always felt for her, into the kiss.

When the kiss ended, they held hands and faced their guests, bowing deeply. Then they turned back to the table, and the mikos lit the two standing tapers.

`Oh yeah, the candle thing.'

The unity candle had been Kagome's idea after having seen it done at so many of the weddings they had been invited to. She was always one for sentimental gestures and the ritual of the candle was right up her alley. He'd agreed to it, of course, just as he agreed to just about anything she requested, and in reality, part of his own sentimental heart thought the custom was a little sweet, albeit somewhat pointless. Still, anything was worth it for the smile she was giving him now.

"The couple will now perform the luminary ceremony of lighting the unity candle to symbolize the joining of two into one," the priest announced.

Following Kagome's lead, he picked up the taper closest to him as she picked up hers and together they lit the central candle. Then they picked up the third, larger taper and lit it from the flame of the unity candle.

"The couple will now share their joy and unity with their family and friends by lighting the candles on the tables," the priest said.

Hand in hand, they visited the tables and lit the central candle placed on each one. When they were finished, they returned to the nuptial table where the unity candle still burned and snuffed out the taper, placing it on the table next to the other two. Then Inuyasha turned to the guests.

"I know that Eri has a lot more entertainment planned and there'll be more speeches. Kagome and I will make a speech later, but for now, let's eat! All this ceremony is making me hungry!"

"Remember ladies that the way to any good man's heart is through his stomach," Kagome teased.

"And don't you forget it!"

The guests cheered and followed them to the wedding table, going to their seats and settling in as the waitstaff prepared to serve the formal meal.

With Kagome at his side, he sat and waited for the servers to bring him a plate of food. Under the table, he still held his wife's hand, even as he couldn't stop looking at the platinum ring on his finger. She seemed enamored with it too, as well as her own ring which she kept glancing down at where their hands were joined. A moment or two later, a large plate of food was placed in front of him along with a side bowl full of ramen.

`Ramen! I am so happy!' "Ah, real food!" he enthused.

"You didn't think I would make you suffer through getting dressed up and wearing shoes and not reward your good behavior with ramen," she replied, taking a bite of her thin-sliced beef.

"Is ramen all I'll get as a reward?" he asked innocently.

"That depends on how good your behavior is."

"Define good behavior."

She opened her mouth to answer when the photographer flashed a picture right in their faces.

"OW!" he yelled.

"Good behavior would be not killing that idiot."

He growled but tamped down his instinct to gut the stupid fool. `Damn weasel-hanyous. Too sly and sneaky for their own good.'

The tapping of glasses called the guests to attention as the old man stood up to give the first toast.

"My granddaughter is married! She is an honest wife and my grandson-in-law is honorable again! Banzai!"

"Banzai!" the guests cheered.

`Honorable again? I was always honorable, you old geezer! You'd better appreciate all of this, old man. Look what Kagome went through for you, putting on that heavy kimono and painting her face white so you'd be happy,' he thought angrily, even as he drank. Beside him Kagome sipped her sake, but he saw her hand tremble and her eyes become stricken.

Sesshoumaru stood.

`What the hell does he want?'

"This Sesshoumaru will make a toast to my brother and his wife."

`Shit. And Kagome made me promise to be good so I can't curse at him and blast him with Tessaiga.'

The waitstaff hurried to refill the sake cups.

"Inuyasha. Worthy of his family name. Worthy of Chichi-ue's blood. Kagome. Worthy of him."

Inuyasha was so stunned by the simple, yet direct toast that he almost forgot to drink.

"Wow," Kagome murmured next to him.

`He said… he said I was worthy of Oyaji's blood.' He gasped as the realization hit him. `He's smacking down the old man! The sad part is, he doesn't even realize it. My father was honorable and just. Sesshoumaru basically just told the old man off.'
Looking at Kagome, then at Yukio who was seated at the table closest to them, he noted that at least they had realized what Sesshoumaru had done. He smiled widely, puffed with pride, and drank.

"Hmph. Do not let words of praise go to your head, hanyou," Sesshoumaru added, then sat down.

`Aww fuck you too. You said it and I am never going to let you forget it, you pompous ass.'

Sesshoumaru's toast sparked a plethora of toasts and speeches, most of which he ignored and only pretended to drink the sake because his ramen was getting cold. He stood when Kagome prompted, smiled when prompted, pretended to drink when prompted, then went back to the important task of eating. The toasts didn't mean that much to him. Kagome was the one who loved fancy words. He didn't need them and never had. No one needed to tell him he was a lucky bastard. No one needed to tell him to be good to his wife. No one needed to wish them well or say how beautiful they looked or how perfect they were for each other. He already knew all of that. What was the point of needless blathering? Especially when there was ramen to be had. Seemed pretty silly to him.

Somewhere between his third bowl of ramen and the roving musicians, someone came to tell them it was time to cut the cake. He stood up with Kagome and they both went over to the huge cake with four tiers and beautiful cascades of roses and orchids made from spun sugar. The thing was a true work of art and it seemed almost a shame to mar the perfectly smooth, hard case icing. The topper was made of blown glass and depicted two roses entwined around each other with wedding rings on their stems. The cake itself was a simple white cake but small saucers of chocolate and raspberry sauces had been placed on each table for the guests to drizzle on their cake if they wished.

The head waiter handed him a decorative knife and he turned to Kagome.

"Are you sure you want to mess this thing up? It's so pretty,"

"Two words: 220,000 yen."

"That's five words," he teased, but he knew what she meant. She was telling him that they weren't about to spend that much money on a cake and then not eat it.

"Gimme the knife."

He snickered and handed her the knife. The photographer took his position and he placed his hand over hers as they cut a small piece of cake from the lowest tier. Placing it on a white plate, he cut the piece in half then picked one up and held it between his fingers as she picked up the other.

"Smash it in her face!" someone cat-called.

`Hmmm, Shippou. You're still an annoying runt.'

"Do it and there will be a crater the size of your body permanently smashed into this ground," she warned him.

He gulped, but in reality he hadn't been planning on doing it anyway. Smiling at her, he fed her his piece as she fed him the one she had and the photographer took more pictures. Ritual complete, the caterer set about slicing the cake into pieces for the guests. One of the servers took the top layer and carried it off.

"Where is she taking that?" he asked.

"They're going to preserve it and we'll eat it on our first wedding anniversary."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "We are?"

"Yes."

"We're gonna eat year-old cake on our anniversary?"

"Yes."

"Whose bright idea was this?"

"It's tradition."

"Don't you think we've had enough of tradition today?"

"Yes, but this is a fun tradition. It's considered good luck and an omen for long life to eat the top tier of our cake on our anniversary. We'll freeze it and thaw it out a couple of days beforehand," she explained.

"Bah, we already have good luck and long life. Don't need to eat year-old cake for that." She gave him a look and he submitted immediately. "Okay, we'll eat year-old cake."

She brightened. "Thank you."

Back at their table, two pieces of cake had been set out for them along with the sauces. Kagome drizzled some chocolate sauce on hers while he chose a bit of raspberry and they both ate their pieces.

"Mmmmmmm. Yummy, but I don't know if it was worth 220,000 yen," she commented.

"Somehow I don't think we were paying for taste," he replied.

"True."

She sighed and put down her plate. "I know we should visit each table and greet all the guests now, but I'd rather change into the blue dress Eri made for me first. This dress is much lighter than the Shiro-maku was but it's still heavy and the satin is hot."

"Well, now that the old man has had his Shinto ceremony, it's our wedding now so you can do what you want," he told her. "I wouldn't mind getting out of this tux and into my casual suit."

"Please, Inuyasha, I know you're not happy with Jii-chan right now and to be honest neither am I, but he honestly was doing what he thought was right. He might be a bit senile and confusing at times, but he's always taken the shrine and its traditions very seriously. I know it was a hardship and a hassle, but it made him happy and that's what's important to me," she chided softly, then looked sad. "Who knows how much longer he'll be with us. In a few years we'll probably bury him too."

He lowered his ears and gave her a tender nuzzle. "I know. You're right. Still, it was our wedding and for all the solemn ceremony of the Shinto wedding, it didn't come close to making me feel as happy and complete as exchanging our rings with you. If I'd had a choice, I would have skipped the san-san-kudo and gone straight to the "I do" part."

"No, san-san-kudo was important. The ritual is something all couples should think about because its meaning is very poignant," she corrected.

"Okay. We could have kept the san-san-kudo but skipped everything else."

She nodded. "Yeah, but then Jii-chan would have been disappointed. Mama too. It made them very proud and happy to see me in Oba-chan's wedding kimono. I'm sorry that you hated it so much."

"I didn't hate it. I just… you looked like a doll and not a real woman. I like you natural, Kagome. You're beautiful just as you are and you always have been. I love you in fancy clothes and I love you in jeans and a t-shirt, and I especially love you in noth…"

"Don't say it," she warned, but there was a glint of amusement in her eyes.

He grinned. "So, you wanted to change?"

"Yeah."

"Let's go then."

"Okay."

She led the way towards the house and he followed. They were halfway there when a voice called out to them.

"Kagome-chan! Kagome-chan!" Ayumi said as she ran up to them.

"Ayumi-chan, is everything all right?" Kagome asked.

"Oh yes. I just saw you and Inuyasha-kun going towards the house. Are you going to change again?"

"Yes."

"I'll help you with your dress then," the girl offered.

"Oh there is no need. Inuyasha will…"

"Please, Kagome-chan, I'd really like to help you with your dress," she insisted with a pleading look in her eyes.

"Oi, problems with my son?" he asked, taking a guess as to what was bothering her.

Ayumi blinked at him, confused. "Oh! With Miroku? Oh no, there aren't any problems with him. In fact he's wonderful. No, I just…" She lowered her voice to a whisper. "I just need to get away from Yuka and Eri for a bit."

"Ah," Kagome replied in understanding. "Well, in that case, I suppose I could use some help with my zipper."

"Oh arigato, Kagome-chan!"

"What did my daughter do?" he questioned as they continued towards the house.

"Not our Eri, Inuyasha. Eri from my school is who she is talking about," Kagome corrected.

"Oh."

"I feel so badly, Kagome-chan, but I'm losing patience with them. I know they can't see what everyone really looks like because of the illusion spells, but all they can talk about is how you're marrying into such a rich family and all the things you will be able to do and buy," Ayumi admitted.

"Well, Fushikenwa is a powerful name in Japan. They probably think I'm marrying Inuyasha for his money," Kagome replied as they entered the genkan and kicked off their shoes.

"No. They know you married Inuyasha for love. That much is too obvious. Besides they know you would never put up with him after everything he put you through if you didn't love him. Thank you for altering the concealment spell to leave your hair and eyes their natural color, by the way."

He shrugged. "I knew they'd seen me before. It made things easier."

"So they are talking a lot about Inuyasha's fortune," Kagome commented.

"Yeah. They were gushing about the shopping trips you'll make and how you won't have to work if you don't want to."

He snorted. "I owe my fortune to Kagome. I wouldn't have anywhere near the amount that I do if it hadn't been for her."

"And you have to remember, Ayumi, it's normal for them to think that way. As far as they are concerned, I'm marrying Prince Charming," Kagome offered reasonably.

"I know, but that's not the point. They don't know anything. They don't see anything. And I can. It's like I have nothing in common with them anymore." The girl stopped short, her eyes wide. "That's how it was for you, wasn't it."

"Hm?" his wife asked as they walked up the stairs.

"When we were in school and you were traveling back and forth to the other world to fight demons and look for jewel shards. We were talking about boys and make-up and the latest gossip, but you were worrying about keeping everyone safe and trying to take care of Yukio. How did you do it?"

He frowned as he listened to the girl blather on. He hated being reminded of all Kagome had sacrificed to be with him, especially after the well had closed.

Kagome shrugged. "Coming back was always like a vacation. I could put aside all my worries about the other world and just be a normal girl. Listening to you talk about boys and gossip about school was refreshing."

`Were you ever a normal girl, Kagome?' he wondered.

"Oh. But still… knowing what I know now. It all seems so… petty, doesn't it?"

They reached the door to Kagome's old room. "Not petty, just different," Kagome answered. "Meet you downstairs in a few minutes, Inuyasha?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

"I love you."

"Love you too."

Ayumi smiled. "You two are so sweet. I hope someday I'll have a husband as sweet as yours, Kagome."

He heard Kagome giggle as she and Ayumi disappeared into her room. "Oh he can be a handful when he wants to be."

"Oh I know, but still, he loves you so much."

"Yes, he does. But enough about me. Tell me about Miroku. Is he behaving?"

"Oh yes. He's a perfect gentleman…"

He didn't hear the rest of it as the door closed and he went into Souta's room to change into more comfortable attire. Slipping out of the tux, he hung it back on its hanger and put on his favorite "dress-up" outfit of a simple white rough silk shirt and loose, black trousers. Then he returned to the downstairs floor of the house to wait for Kagome. She came out with Ayumi a few minutes later and he watched her come down the stairs.

When Inuyasha saw his wife in her blue Eri-Original, he had to pause to catch his breath. Kagome had always looked stunning in blue but his eldest daughter had outdone herself with the light, delicate and undoubtedly feminine design. The dress had spaghetti straps and clung to her body until it got to her waist, then it flared out and went down into an uneven hemline that looked like multiple scarves had been overlaid onto each other. The dress had a loose, hand dyed blue shawl with fern patterns impressed in gold paint on the fabric.

"Koishii…" he breathed, feeling underdressed.

She came up to him and he saw her touch the rings on her finger right before she stood on her tiptoes to kiss him.

"You are so beautiful," he told her.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Kagome. So very much."

She slipped her arm in his and gave him a sweet, tender smile.

"Shall we return to our reception?"

He put his hand over hers and smiled. "Can we skip the rest of the reception and go straight to the honeymoon?"

She smacked him. "Hentai."

He snickered and kissed her again. Then they headed, arm in arm, back out to the shrine and their party.

If there was anything that proved that the reception was unconventional by Japanese standards it was the presence of the dance floor. Eri had hired a band to play music for the guests, and Inuyasha stood back to watch as the high and mighty Japanese youkai were stupefied by the number of guests taking advantage of the portable wooden platform. Of course, the ones dancing were all his pups. His son Isato was spinning his lovely Spanish beauty around while Yukio and Eri danced a simple cha-cha. He saw a number of his other pups enjoying the lively band, as well as Shippou and his mate Mitsiyomi. Even Miroku had taken his girl and was showing her how to do a little two-step. The girl was flame red with embarrassment and kept looking their way, but Kagome just smiled and shook her head.

Japanese typically did not dance at wedding receptions, preferring individual performances and the enjoyment of non-participatory entertainment. His family, however, was no longer Japanese. Having long before spread out all over the globe, they had adopted the customs and traditions of their adopted countries. While the Fushikenwa name lived on in Japan, many of them hadn't been residents of the country in decades. In fact, more Japanese youkai recognized his sons Yukio and Miroku than him. Before they had returned to Japan for the reunion, he hadn't set foot in his birth country for more than a couple of days in eighty years.

To be honest, he was rather fond of his anonymity. It afforded him a freedom he hadn't enjoyed when he and Sesshoumaru were unmistakable figures in youkai society. Sesshoumaru, of course, had returned to build his empire as soon as he was able, and his face and name were legendary, but his younger, hanyou brother had somewhat faded into the woodwork. Those who were `in the know' knew who he was, and his name was still as well-known as Sesshoumaru's, but most younger youkai or youkai who had moved to Japan after he and Kagome had left wouldn't know him if they tripped over him. They might know of the famous Fushikenwa Inuyasha, but most of them hadn't a clue that he was the Inuyasha of old even if they happened to hear his name. Not one for the spotlight anyway, Inuyasha was perfectly content to remain a faceless name recorded in the youkai history books.

Kagome, of course, was to be protected at all costs, and they had done their best to keep her name out of the historical record. More often than not she was referred to as `the great miko' or `Inuyasha's companion,' her true name mentioned only rarely. They kept her time traveling and knowledge of the future a strict secret with only a very select few privy to that information, and once his and her lives had become bound to one another, they had endeavored to hide her identity even more. Today's Fushikenwa Kagome was famous in her own right for her knowledge and skill in treating hanyou children, and more recently as the first human woman to bear a hanyou's child, but very, very few youkai knew that she had been the great miko who had fought Naraku and purified the Shikon no Tama. The fact that the famous jewel had been gone for over four centuries helped as well. He was eager to get her back to Alberta and away from the persistent Japanese youkai paparazzi. Out of sight was out of mind as far as the Tokyo press was concerned, furthering Kagome's descent into obscurity which was exactly where he wanted her.

If he had any true weakness, it was Kagome. She was his Achilles' heel. His reputation alone kept the majority of threats away, but it would be very dangerous for his enemies to discover that he and Kagome were linked. Those who could not get to him, might very well go after her thinking she was the easier target. They'd get a rude awakening very quickly when they discovered that Kagome was viciously protected by their pups. One of the reasons he was secretly relieved that Yukio refused to move too far away from them, and was also overjoyed to have him living with them, was because he trusted his eldest's ability to protect his mother. Inuyasha had trained him himself and they had fought many battles together. He knew very well his son's skill in a fight, and he had no doubts that Yukio would die before he let anything happen to Kagome.

Kagome tugged on his arm, bringing him out of his thoughts and guided him over to the first table to begin their obligatory visits to speak to each of their guests. He followed her lead and hoped that he said all the right things at the right time in order not to piss anyone off. Kagome was so much better at dealing with people than he was and he was more than happy to let her do the talking for the both of them. He didn't much care when the `guests' were his pups because they knew him and he did not have to worry about etiquette or proper manners.

Almost all of them had made it back to Japan for the wedding, and he was glad so many had been able to attend. Even though having all of them in one place was quite the feat, he loved it when his pups were all in one place. As pack leader, getting used to the reality that pups grew up and left home instead of staying with the pack had always been a challenge for him, especially with his girls. If he'd had any say in the matter, he would have built a village just for his family and kept them all close-by.

At tables where the guests were high-ranking youkai or business colleagues, he was a little less at ease and Kagome took the lead effortlessly as they made their rounds. Most of the guests had brought the traditional gift of cash in the elaborately decorated Shugi-bukuro envelopes. It wasn't that they needed the money to pay for their reception, but cash was considered the proper gift for the occasion. Most of it would probably go into a trust fund set aside for Ian's education.

It took them almost an hour, but they completed their rounds and returned to the wedding table for a much needed break. The respite did not last long however, and he had barely finished another bowl of ramen when Tetsukazu came over to them.

"Mama! Mama, you look so beautiful," their dragon-hanyou son said.

"Thank you, sweetheart," Kagome replied, standing as he reached for her hand.

"Dance with me? Papa, can I take her?"

"Oi, how is your Sight?" he asked shrewdly. He did not need an instant replay of the reunion.

His dragon-hanyou son smiled. "It's fine. I've been practicing the new blocking exercises my aunt taught me. I'm much better."

"Okay then, but not for too long," he agreed.

Kagome gave him a kiss and smile as Tetsu dragged her off to the dance floor.

"He has been much better since he got back from Tibet," Izayoi confirmed, joining him as he stood leaning with his back against the wedding table.

He nodded and looked over at his daughter who was holding his youngest son. She must have taken him from Mariko sometime after he'd last seen her. Ian was awake, but looking sleepy.

"Here, give him to me," he said, holding out his hands. He hadn't held Ian since that morning.

"Tou," Ian sniffled as Izayoi handed him over.

"Hey pup," he cooed, patting his son's back.

The pup curled his hands into his shirt and rested his little head on his shoulder. He felt his son relaxing against him and he rocked him gently.

"He's tired," Izayoi commented.

"Yeah, been a long day for him," he admitted, looking at the reddening sky.

It was getting on sunset. Soon the paper lanterns would be lit and the shrine would be flooded with their soft light. On the dance floor, Kagome was dancing with Tetsu, the silk of her dress swirling around her. He didn't dance, but he loved to watch his mate as she glided over the temporary parquet, turning lightly in son's hands. Smiling, he moved over to sit beneath Goshinboku where he could watch the festivities while holding his sleeping son.

The sun set and the lanterns came on, along with strings of twinkling white lights that were hung with the paper lanterns. The rest of the shrine fell into darkness as night descended and he was shrouded in the soft colors of twilight. There seemed to be an unspoken decision to leave him alone while he sat under the sacred tree. Maybe it was because he was holding Ian, maybe it was because they knew he wanted to be undisturbed. Whatever the reason, he was grateful for the quasi-solitude. So much so that he didn't even bother to get up when Kouga took Kagome away from Tetsu for a dance. After all, it was his ring on Kagome's finger and not the stinking wolf's. Besides, his eldest was on it almost immediately, cutting in and stealing his mother away from the wolf-lord after the first song.

`Good pup.'

A plaintive mew broke his thoughts and he turned his head to see Kirara sitting next to him. He gave the firecat a soft smile and she flicked her tails at him happily.

"Did you get some fish?" he asked her.

She mewed an assent and rubbed against his leg before settling beside him and purring.

`Yeah, me too,' he thought contentedly.

The music changed and now Yukio was dancing a slow dance with Kagome, her hand lightly on his shoulder and her face cracked into a brilliant grin as he said something that amused her. He envied his son's quiet self confidence. Yukio had always grabbed life with both hands, probably because he knew his parents would catch him by his ankles if they had to. He had never known the hate and prejudice that his father had grown up with. He had never been run out of a village by an angry mob or hunted down like an animal. He had never known the pain of being rejected by everyone and everything, of never belonging somewhere and never having friends.

`I gave him the life I wished I'd had, and he's always done me proud. All of them have done me proud… usually.'

Isato grabbed Kagome from Yukio and spun her as the music changed again. He could hear her laughter from where he sat and it was music to his ears. He loved to hear her laugh, and he enjoyed watching her dance with their sons.

Kirara moving was his first clue that something was up, then a slight change in the atmosphere made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Reflexively he reached for the sword at his side, supporting his sleeping pup with one hand, but he relaxed when he saw that the firecat did not seem alarmed. Her attention, however, was certainly fixed on a point just out of his view. He shifted his position to see what it was that she was looking at, but he couldn't really tell. Then a soft glow appeared and slowly took shape.

`It can't be…'

But it was and his heart pounded in his chest as the figures of his long dead friends appeared, coming to pay their respects on their special day. Sango and Miroku looked as they had in their younger years, not as they had been in the autumn of their lives. Sango was wearing the battle gear of the taijiya and Hiraikotsu was slung over her shoulder. She looked ready for anything, proud and tall as he remembered her in life. Miroku was dressed in his monk's robes, his staff in his hand and his face quietly amused. Both of them stood silently, looking at the festivities under the lights.

He knew he was staring like a fish out of water and for a moment he thought they couldn't see him. Then the translucent figure of Miroku cast a fond glance his way and he knew that they were well aware of him. A moment later the shade of Kohaku joined his sister, followed by the figures of all of their children, long dead, until he was surrounded by those he had known and lost.

`Well, of course they would be here. All of them are buried here. Kagome's ancestors are the great-grandchildren of Sango and Miroku.'

They did not speak, but they didn't need to. Their presence was telling enough and he wondered if Kagome could see them as well. He watched his wife carefully and saw her look his way. Then he saw her step falter as she saw their new visitors. Disengaging herself from the dancing, he watched her come over, her step uncertain.

"Inuyasha," she whispered.

"Yeah, I know," he answered as he rose to his feet and stood next to her.

The music stopped and the guests grew still, lining up along the edge of the lighted area. He had no idea what they were seeing, especially since many of them were under the Spell of Normalcy and that was certain to filter out what was happening, but he couldn't really be concerned about that considering he wasn't entirely certain exactly what was happening either.

"Miroku-sama. Sango-chan."

Their two friends smiled and bowed.

"Kohaku-kun…"

The image of the tortured young man smiled softly and bowed as well. Miroku stepped forward and put his hand up, making a gesture of blessing over the sleeping pup. Tears sprang up in Kagome's eyes, and she gave them a grateful smile.

"Thank you, Miroku-sama."

Another small bow was her answer.

"Yeah, thanks," he said, giving his friend a nod.

Miroku smiled at him.

"I'm… I'm so happy that you could be here tonight. We miss you so much," Kagome added.

Sango gave them a sweet smile that spoke volumes for all of them. Then she made a gesture with her arm that encompassed the shrine and all of those present. Kagome nodded in understanding.

"I know we'll all be together some day. I take great comfort in that."

Sango nodded and placed a hand over her heart.

"We love you too," Kagome replied, tears rolling silently down her cheeks. "I hope, I pray that you are at peace."

Sango and Miroku looked at each other and reached out to hold each others hand, then they smiled at Kagome and nodded.

"I'm so glad," she said.

Miroku looked behind him and his smile faded.

"Is it time for you to go?" Kagome asked.

The former monk nodded and looked apologetic.

"I'm sorry too," she admitted. "But I'm happy that you could visit for this short time at least."

The tender smiles came back as their long dead friends looked fondly at them. Then one by one, the shades turned and faded from sight until only Sango and Miroku remained. They stayed for a moment longer, then they both bowed and stepped back, their figures blurring with each step until they too were gone. Silence reigned in their wake.

"Well, I was planning to call in a few favors and get Yamaguchi Kappei to come sing for us, but I don't think I can upstage that," Yukio commented, breaking the somber, tense mood.

"Heh," he replied.

"Otou-san, was that…?" Miroku asked, looking a little shell shocked.

He nodded. "Yeah."

"That was your namesake," Yukio confirmed.

"Oh."

"Well, I think that's our cue to wrap this thing up, ne?" he said.

Kagome nodded and took his hand as he gave Ian to Izayoi.

"Here, hold him while we make our speech," he asked.

"Of course," his daughter agreed, taking the sleeping pup and cradling him against her shoulder. Ian didn't even snuffle.

Still holding hands, he led Kagome up to the dance floor and held out his hand to take the microphone from the band singer.

"I'd like to thank all of you for coming tonight. Our day would not have been the same if you had not been able to share it with us," he began. "We are very grateful that you could be here."

Knowing that he wasn't one for long speeches or flowery words, Kagome gently took the microphone from him.

"It means so much to us to see so many of our family and friends here with us. This wedding has been a long time in coming and all of you have helped to make our day perfect," she said. "I would like to personally thank my mother and grandfather for standing in for me during our ceremony, and Nishitaishou Sesshoumaru-sama and Rin-sama for standing for Inuyasha. I also would like to thank Fushikenwa Yukio for agreeing to be our Nakodo. I know it was nerve-wracking for him but he did a wonderful job. I would like to thank Bast Eri for her excellent planning skills. As always, her taste and talent have provided us with the best food and entertainment we could have ever asked for. Our priest, the honorable Shinzo Kanawa and his lovely daughters for being our officiants, I thank you for presiding over our wedding ceremony. Thank you to all of the performers, cooks and servers. All of you have contributed to making this day a wonderful day for us. Thank you very much.

"You will find catalogs at each of your place settings with your choice of gift. Please choose whatever you would like as a token of our gratitude. Once again, thank you very much all of you for being with us tonight and for sharing our special day. You have made our joy complete."

He took the microphone back. "The band will keep playing for a while longer, but Kagome and I are leaving for our honeymoon. That's right isn't it?" He turned to her. "Now we get to go on a honeymoon with no pups, right? Right?"

The crowd laughed and Kagome hid her mouth behind her hands.

"Oi! You didn't answer my question!"

Kagome's answer was to shrug and giggle, and then she took the mike from him. "He never changes."

"Oi! Do I get a honeymoon without pups or not!"

"Get him out of here before he pops a vein!" Eri cat-called.

"Don't worry. I'll put him out of his misery," Kagome promised. "Thank you again everyone."

She gave the microphone back to the singer who lead a rousing farewell cheer as he picked up his wife and carried her bridal style off the dance floor.

"Sayonara!" she called, waving good-bye when he didn't stop, but instead kept going until he had carried her clear out of the shrine.

He took her all the way to Tokyo House where he set her down in the genkan.

"You stay here. I'll get the bags," he told her.

"Bags?"

"Yeah. I've made reservations for us at the Four Seasons for the night."

"You did?"

"Yes. Our pupless honeymoon starts tonight. That's okay, isn't it?"

She gave him a shrewd look. "That depends. Did you tell anyone else about your plan?"

"Bah! Of course," he replied.

"All right then, as long as no one is expecting us to be here tonight."

"Izayoi promised to bring Ian to the airport tomorrow morning so we can say good-bye," he added, knowing that would be one of her concerns.

"You've thought of everything, haven't you?"

"I tried, and Eri caught what I missed," he admitted.

"I should have known that she'd be in on this."

"You thought I'd be able to plan something without her?"

She just giggled and shook her head. "Go get the bags. I'll be here waiting."

He kissed her with all the promise of the night and honeymoon to come. "I've learned never to keep a lady waiting. I'll be right back."

To his surprise, he found the bags neatly lined up and waiting right inside the shoji. A moment later a limousine pulled up to the door just as he was getting ready to load the BMW.

`Eri, you don't miss a beat. Thank you,' he thought as the chauffeur took their bags and loaded them into the trunk.

"She doesn't miss a beat," Kagome commented as they got into the back.

He shook his head and smiled. "No, she doesn't." `Great minds think alike.'

The ride to the hotel was uneventful and their room was ready when they arrived. Eri had done more of her magic and the room had been appointed with champagne, flowers and two brightly wrapped gifts placed on the bed. Tomorrow they would fly to Hawaii for a two week honeymoon, but for now they were truly alone for the first time in months. Smiling in anticipation, he drew his wife close and kissed her.

"I love you," he whispered, nibbling at her neck.

She moaned softly and rubbed his ears.

"Mmmm. Kagome…"

"Inuyasha."

He moved to slip the blue shawl off of her shoulders but she stopped him.

"What is it?" he asked, worried that something was wrong.

"I have a gift for you," she answered.

He smiled and nuzzled her. "There's nothing you could give me that would make me happier than I am right now."

"Maybe, but I think you've earned this. Close your eyes."

Giving her only a token bit of resistance, he did as she asked and waited with his eyes closed. He felt her doing something with his neck and his eyes opened wide just in time to see her lift the rosary over his head.

`What the? No!' "Kagome…"

"You don't need this anymore, Inuyasha. I've replaced your rosary with a wedding ring," she explained.

"But…" `My prayer beads…'

"You don't need it, and you've worn it long enough," she insisted, placing the prayer beads in his hand.

He looked down at them, already missing their weight around his neck. They didn't belong in his palm; they belonged resting against his collarbone where they had been for the past 453 years.

`But that wasn't the point…' "Is the spell broken now?" he asked unsteadily.

"Yes."

`If they can't sit me, maybe she'll put them back.' "Then I want to keep wearing them, even though they can't subdue me anymore."

She gave him an understanding smile, as if she wasn't at all surprised to hear his request.

"All right," she agreed.

He lowered his head down and she slipped the beads back on, making him feel much better the moment they returned to their rightful place around his neck.

"Thank you," he said, kissing her.

She gave him a little nuzzle. "I should have known that you'd want them back."

"They belong there because they're part of what binds us together. I've worn them so long that I can't imagine not having them with me."

"My hanyou, the closet sentimental. You're still a big, fluffy puppy."

He growled. "I'll show you fluffy puppy. This puppy bites."

She laughed. "Oh I know. In fact, I'm betting on it."

:Mate,: he barked, picking her up in his arms again.

:Mate,: she replied, baring her throat.

He groaned and licked the pulse point of her neck.

`Love, love, love you, Kagome,' he sighed to himself, letting her scent fill his nostrils and make him whole.

"I love you, Inuyasha," she whispered.

"I love you, Kagome. Wife."

"Husband."

"Wife," he repeated, silencing her answer with another kiss as he carried her to the bed.